To the Right Honourable The Lord Viscount Mont-Cassel This Fable is most humbly Dedicated by a Person who had some share in his Education [by Thomas Sheridan] |
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 | To the Right Honourable The Lord Viscount Mont-Cassel |  |
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TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE LORD Viscount MONT-CASSEL: This FABLE is most humbly Dedicated by a PERSON who had some share in his EDUCATION.
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TO THE Right HONOURABLE THE LORD Viscount Mont-Cassel, &c.
A
Peacock nobly born, and bred,
Once took a fancy in his head,
Whether for pleasure, health, or food,
To ramble in a neighb'ring Wood,
The Birds around from ev'ry Tree,
Crowded in flocks the sight to see.
His Train, adorn'd with glitt'ring Rays,
Provokes their Malice not their Praise.
But soon his envy'd splendor drew
Censure from all the vulgar crew.
Each bird, as if by mankind taught,
Turn'd all his Wit to find a fault;
And wheresoe'er he took his flight,
They always kept him full in sight.
Of him alone the Forrest rung,
He grew the Talk of ev'ry Tongue.
Wise good-man Owl was hear'd to say,
The Peacock scratch'd his head to day.
The Raven swore in hollow Tone,
He saw him pick a dirty BONE.
For all his PRIDE (says Gossip Quail)
He wants a FEATHER of his TAIL.
A Linnet came, and whisper'd low,
He saw him BILL a Carrion CROW.
Others observ'd he spoil'd the Wood,
By nipping ev'ry tender Bud;
Did all the Mischief in his pow'r
To ev'ry Plant, and ev'ry Flow'r;
The Blossoms enviously he gathers,
For fear they shou'd outvy his Feathers;
For New-laid Eggs he search'd about,
Broke ev'ry one that he found out;
Nor was he satisfy'd to plunder,
He tore the very Nests asunder.
In short what e'er he said, or did,
Cou'd not by any means be hid.
Once took a fancy in his head,
Whether for pleasure, health, or food,
To ramble in a neighb'ring Wood,
The Birds around from ev'ry Tree,
Crowded in flocks the sight to see.
His Train, adorn'd with glitt'ring Rays,
Provokes their Malice not their Praise.
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Censure from all the vulgar crew.
Each bird, as if by mankind taught,
Turn'd all his Wit to find a fault;
And wheresoe'er he took his flight,
They always kept him full in sight.
Of him alone the Forrest rung,
He grew the Talk of ev'ry Tongue.
Wise good-man Owl was hear'd to say,
The Peacock scratch'd his head to day.
The Raven swore in hollow Tone,
He saw him pick a dirty BONE.
For all his PRIDE (says Gossip Quail)
He wants a FEATHER of his TAIL.
A Linnet came, and whisper'd low,
He saw him BILL a Carrion CROW.
Others observ'd he spoil'd the Wood,
By nipping ev'ry tender Bud;
Did all the Mischief in his pow'r
To ev'ry Plant, and ev'ry Flow'r;
The Blossoms enviously he gathers,
For fear they shou'd outvy his Feathers;
For New-laid Eggs he search'd about,
Broke ev'ry one that he found out;
Nor was he satisfy'd to plunder,
He tore the very Nests asunder.
In short what e'er he said, or did,
Cou'd not by any means be hid.
BUT now for what was first in view,
My Lord, I turn my self to you;
To you I make the Application,
The Rising Honour of our Nation,
From School translated to a College,
There to acquire superior knowledge;
To have your Noble Blood refin'd,
By what can best adorn your mind.
You enter on a Publick Stage,
In the first Wildness of your Age,
And all around you ev'ry Eye,
On ev'ry thing you do, a Spy;
Where not a trivial Act can be,
From the severest Censure free.
My Lord, I turn my self to you;
To you I make the Application,
The Rising Honour of our Nation,
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There to acquire superior knowledge;
To have your Noble Blood refin'd,
By what can best adorn your mind.
You enter on a Publick Stage,
In the first Wildness of your Age,
And all around you ev'ry Eye,
On ev'ry thing you do, a Spy;
Where not a trivial Act can be,
From the severest Censure free.
IF smallest Faults can give a handle,
For Calumny, Reproach, and Scandal;
If true, or false, the World will talk,
How circumspectly must you walk!
For Calumny, Reproach, and Scandal;
If true, or false, the World will talk,
How circumspectly must you walk!
YOU know, my Lord, 'tis wisely said,
(And you the passage often read)
The higher any Persons rise,
The more expos'd to cens'ring Eyes.
And if a vicious course they Steer,
How monstrous will their crimes appear!
(And you the passage often read)
The higher any Persons rise,
The more expos'd to cens'ring Eyes.
And if a vicious course they Steer,
How monstrous will their crimes appear!
YOUR fellow-students will each day,
Find something right or wrong to say;
Our LORD MONT-CASSEL mist a Pray'r,
In spight of all his TUTOR's Care;
Instead of Lecture in the HALL,
His LORDSHIP was engag'd at BALL;
The little sorry Theme he Writ,
Was scribled without fear or wit;
He fell in Company with ROOKS.
Who chous'd him out of half his BOOKS.
Find something right or wrong to say;
Our LORD MONT-CASSEL mist a Pray'r,
In spight of all his TUTOR's Care;
Instead of Lecture in the HALL,
His LORDSHIP was engag'd at BALL;
The little sorry Theme he Writ,
Was scribled without fear or wit;
He fell in Company with ROOKS.
Who chous'd him out of half his BOOKS.
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BUT shou'd you Copy vulgar Lords,
Whose Actions only vice records,
Whose very Foot-men shew more sense,
Appear of greater Consequence,
How Foes will smile! how Friends will grieve!
To find you ruin'd past Retrieve.
Nay all the World about will stare,
To see you slip thro' all our Care.
Whose Actions only vice records,
Whose very Foot-men shew more sense,
Appear of greater Consequence,
How Foes will smile! how Friends will grieve!
To find you ruin'd past Retrieve.
Nay all the World about will stare,
To see you slip thro' all our Care.
THEN listen, while I now describe
The grand Atchievments of your Tribe.
They Drink, they Quarrel, Swear, and Game,
And Dick the Footman does the same.
Behold a knot of Peers approach,
They just have bilk'd a Hackney-Coach;
Behold them in their Tavern Ayrs,
Kicking the Drawers down the Stairs;
Behold their Conduct at a Play,
What Comedy so good as they!
The valour of a Noble Rake,
At midnight makes a City quake,
The Hero breaks the Watchman's head,
And Fights the Tradesman from his bed.
His Lordly Soul undaunted hears,
The Windows clatt'ring round his Ears,
With busy Hands he keeps a doing,
Nor dreads at all the Jingling ruin.
And tho' his comrades all are flown,
He stays to throw the t'other Stone.
(Now change my Muse, no longer jest,
A graver Style becomes the rest.)
He blasts his Fortune, Health, and Fame,
Without the least regard to Shame.
At length when all his credit's gone,
No Trades-Man left to be undone,
A Peer reduc'd he makes Pretension
To Royal Bounty for a Pension;
Becomes to get a mean Support
A truckling Vassal to the Court.
The grand Atchievments of your Tribe.
They Drink, they Quarrel, Swear, and Game,
And Dick the Footman does the same.
Behold a knot of Peers approach,
They just have bilk'd a Hackney-Coach;
Behold them in their Tavern Ayrs,
Kicking the Drawers down the Stairs;
Behold their Conduct at a Play,
What Comedy so good as they!
The valour of a Noble Rake,
At midnight makes a City quake,
The Hero breaks the Watchman's head,
And Fights the Tradesman from his bed.
His Lordly Soul undaunted hears,
The Windows clatt'ring round his Ears,
With busy Hands he keeps a doing,
Nor dreads at all the Jingling ruin.
And tho' his comrades all are flown,
He stays to throw the t'other Stone.
(Now change my Muse, no longer jest,
A graver Style becomes the rest.)
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Without the least regard to Shame.
At length when all his credit's gone,
No Trades-Man left to be undone,
A Peer reduc'd he makes Pretension
To Royal Bounty for a Pension;
Becomes to get a mean Support
A truckling Vassal to the Court.
O let it never once be said,
My Lord, that you are thus misled!
Let not your early Parts be lost,
Which so much Pains and labour cost.
Ill-natur'd Folks will say with joy,
That Lord was once a hopeful Boy.
And ev'ry Friend will grieve, to see
So fine a Plant a Stunted-Tree.
My Lord, that you are thus misled!
Let not your early Parts be lost,
Which so much Pains and labour cost.
Ill-natur'd Folks will say with joy,
That Lord was once a hopeful Boy.
And ev'ry Friend will grieve, to see
So fine a Plant a Stunted-Tree.
I know, my Lord, you can with ease
Command your Passions, as you please,
If they break loose you are undone,
And down a Precipice you run.
Command your Passions, as you please,
If they break loose you are undone,
And down a Precipice you run.
LET Prudence ev'ry Action guide,
And only Virtue be your Pride.
Be just the same you were at School,
(I cannot give a better Rule;)
Where your Example has done more,
Then Rods cou'd ever do before.
Preserve your Honour, and your Truth,
Those lovely Ornaments of Youth,
By which you have distinguish'd been.
To the first dang'rous year SIXTEEN.
When too like Icarus we rise,
And Spurn at what our Friends advise,
Till sad Experience brings to view,
How rash and giddily we flew.
Apply this Hint, and take it thus,
Your Tutor is your Dædalus;
His care will shew the safest way,
Your duty must be to obey,
Till Rip'ning judgment makes you see,
The safest Course as well as he;
As he directs, if you can fly,
With HONOUR Live, with HONOUR Dye.
And only Virtue be your Pride.
Be just the same you were at School,
(I cannot give a better Rule;)
Where your Example has done more,
Then Rods cou'd ever do before.
Preserve your Honour, and your Truth,
Those lovely Ornaments of Youth,
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To the first dang'rous year SIXTEEN.
When too like Icarus we rise,
And Spurn at what our Friends advise,
Till sad Experience brings to view,
How rash and giddily we flew.
Apply this Hint, and take it thus,
Your Tutor is your Dædalus;
His care will shew the safest way,
Your duty must be to obey,
Till Rip'ning judgment makes you see,
The safest Course as well as he;
As he directs, if you can fly,
With HONOUR Live, with HONOUR Dye.
FINIS.
| To the Right Honourable The Lord Viscount Mont-Cassel | |